According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the word elderly means “rather old; being past middle age; characteristics of later life.” When an individual is categorized as being old, they feel insulted and may immediately become defensive, this is due to the fact that society has played a major role in the way we interpret the word “elderly”. Some individuals use the known phrase “You are as old as you feel”, as they are quite comfortable with themselves and nothing anyone says would sway the way they feel. The truth is, every day after a person’s birth, they are older, and so saying that someone is old should not be taken in the wrong perspective, but seen as a blessing of long life.
As individuals we are all guilty of planning for our retirement, yet some of us look at individuals who are in retirement in a negative way. In this essay, I would strive to look at factors which may have triggered negative perceptions and discernment and how it ties in to the term ageism and the effects it has on elders. The essay would also explore the theories modernization and egalitarian and will also look at ways in which the society can change their perception of the elderly.
Growing up as a child, I distinctly remember that the elderly individuals in your area or in any area were treated with utmost respect. They were held in high esteem, and their views and advice were cherished. The elderly were individuals that you would go to when you were not feeling well, or when you needed someone to look after your kids. You would never dare pass them in the street and not say “good morning, good evening or good night.” If a person passing time on the road was using explicit language, they would instantaneously stop and express r...
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...for them. In conclusion perception of the elderly are attributed to the way society view them, so let us as a society change the perception and maybe some of the morals and values of our land would return thus decreasing the amount of negative occurrence within our country.
References
Definition of an older or elderly person. (n.d.). WHO. Retrieved April 5, 2014, from http://www.who.int/healthinfo/survey/ageingdefnolder/en/
Street, D. (2002, January 1). Status of Older People: Modernization. Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved April 7, 2014, from http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3402200387.html
What is ageism?. (n.d.). Age UK. Retrieved April 7, 2014, from http://www.ageuk.org.uk/work-and-learning/discrimination-and-rights/what-is-ageism/
elderly. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved April 4, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elderly
A new criterion for the ideal person must be made to not include things such as sex, but to judge a person based on his or her capabilities in doing what he or she does. The question remains on the support for equal treatment based on age, which is a very controversial debate, as factors such as higher wage from experience, or even having the contemporary knowledge for a certain job. One thing is for sure though, on a common view that as people reach old age, they become physically weaker, which may cause employers to not want to hire seniors that needs money to get by, which goes to show how there are many seniors out on the streets searching through public garbage cans for recycles in exchange for a meager income - with an out of portion amount of seniors of colour in such a circumstances goes to show an obvious language barrier still prominent throughout society. What amounts to a “fair” and “equal” treatment of the
Takamura, J.C. (1999). Getting ready for the 21st Century: The aging of America and the older
So in conclusion attitudes towards aging has not really changed through the ages. We all want to grow old gracefully and live to a ripe old age. Maybe someday we will beat that sphinx's
are old.” Individuals should have some understanding of the of what the term ageism but maybe
If you really think about it, society is already starting to stray away from the term “old”. Instead, people are calling 90 year olds 90 years young. Even in talk shows and just from talking to people in general, we see/ hear about 90 year olds doing yoga, running a business or do...
are forced to live off of. What happens if there is not enough to go
Hiller, S. M., & Barrow, G. M. (2011). Aging, the individual, and society. (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Aging is universal and it is a process that everyone has to go through. The only difference is that everyone goes through this process at their own pace influenced by factors that will be discussed later on in this paper. When we think about factors that have an influence on older adults and how their life may be affected, we must consider the different social institutions while analyzing influences from social factors, cultural factors, and personal values. Abuse to older adults, stereotyping and informal care and technological advancements that affect older adults are the three topics that will be discussed in this reflection. Furthermore, will connect the three topics I have chosen to the knowledge that I have gained from my interaction
The term “ageism” is not easily understood by most of the population because of its acceptance as normal behavior due to the ingrained attitudes that most people develop in their youth, but health care workers must fully embrace the term within their profession in order to avoid becoming a contributor to the historical prevalence of prejudices and discrimination. The term ageism is defined by Klein and Liu (2010) as “the discrimination of individuals based solely on age” (p. 334). “Ageism is a social construct that is internalized in the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of individuals” (Klein & Liu, 2010, p. 334). Robert Butler, a well-known gerontologist, coined the term “ageism” citing that the discrimination and prejudice associated with this term is often based on the lack of a person’s experience with older people (Ferrini & Ferrini, 2013, p. 6). Ferrini and Ferrini (2013) refer to the strong influence that cultural beliefs and attitudes as well as a person’s current age influence the perception of aging (p. 6). Everywhere within society there are influences that encourage ageist attitudes such as media conveyances through movies, books, television, greeting cards, magazines and the Internet (Ferrini and Ferrini, 2013, p. 6). These negative connotations related to growing older begin to influence all people at a very young age and therefore impact their attitudes as they make career decisions. This has directly impacted the number of health care providers who specialize in geriatrics as well as the attitudes of those who do provide services for older adults. These false perceptions and negative attitudes are currently impacting the q...
Hooyman, N., & Kiyak, H. A. (2011). Social gerontology: A multidisciplinary perspective (9th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. (Original work published 2005)
...th professionals, were significantly more cynical toward and distrustful of older adults” (p. 63). The findings in Meisner’s (2012) conveyed that physicians demonstrated attitudes about older patients including feelings of these individuals being “disengaged and unproductive” while assuming that these characteristics applied to all of the older patients regardless of each person’s actual abilities (p. 63). Combing all older adults into one category defined by disability and dysfunction is detrimental to the well-being of each patient. Chronological age is not the determining factor relative to treatment; functional age is a better testament to expected outcomes for a patient. It is imperative that physicians understand what is “normal aging” rather than searching for pathologies based on symptoms that are just part of this aging process. According to Meisner
In today’s society, what was once said to be true and taken as fact regarding older people is no longer the whole story. As Laslett states, “At all times before the middle of the twentieth century and all over the globe the greater part of human life potential has been wasted, by people dying before their allotted time was up.” (1989a), and to a great extent a lot
Ageing is something that everyone will eventually experience if they are fortunate to live a long life. The process of ageing comes with various negative and positive outlooks. In western culture, ageing for both genders is particularly condemned. In the media in particular, the process of ageing for men and women vary greatly. Where, women are condemned for ageing more than men are. Media greatly highlights on the stereotypical notion of ageing especially in the aspect of portraying men and women and their social roles through advertisement. I will be discussing
According to DeBrew, author of “Can being ageist harm your older adult patients?” stereotypes and discrimination are evident in various aspects of patient care. “Ageism [is] defined as stereotyping or discrimination aimed at older adults and a lack of knowledge about normal changes of aging and presentation of illness in older adults (. . .)” (DeBrew, 2015). DeBrew (2015) states, “research findings suggest that ageism is common in healthcare” (DeBrew, 2015). Ageism is not only an issue in the healthcare setting, but also among older adults as well as their families. When ageism is present in the healthcare setting it poses
305). Society is constantly bombarded by messages informing us about how to reduce the signs of aging, instead of accepting the natural process (Germov, 2014, p. 305). These beliefs have lead to ageism being very common in society. Ageism is best defined as the negative attitudes, which are associated with the aging process (Novak, 2006, p. 3). Ageism involves an individual or group being stereotyped and experiencing discrimination due to their biological age (Novak, 2006, p. 3). This discrimination can be direct or indirect discrimination, victimisation or harassment (Johnson, 2013, p. 27). Unlike other individuals and groups who are stereotyped and discriminated against, those who are making these comments will one day themselves be of old